Shrubs, Subshrubs, and Groundcovers from California Spring Trials 2017
Fast-growing shrubs and subshrubs add color and beauty to the landscape, while acting as foundational plantings that create structure in the garden and set off focal plants and other garden features. We asked breeders to share with us some of the great shrubs, subshrubs, and groundcovers you’ll see introduced at California Spring Trials 2017. These varieties will hit retail in 2018. Watch for more slideshows on perennials, blooming potted plants, and edibles.
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Azalea ‘Autumn Bonfire’ (Sunset Western Garden Collection)
New to the Encore Azalea family, this compact shrub is a fast grower, but tops out at 3 feet. It is hardy from Zones 6a to 10.
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Betula 'Golden Treasure' (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
'Golden Treasure' is an exceptionally cold-tolerant dwarf birch. New growth appears in sunset hues of yellow, red, and orange, and cheerful chartreuse foliage carries the plant through the entire season. Allow ‘Golden Treasure’ to grow naturally, where its attractive, fan-like habit can be enjoyed, or prune it into a shape. It grows 2 to 4 inches and is hardy in Zones 2 to 7.
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Ceanothus griseus horizontalis ‘Highlights’ (Sunset Western Garden Collection)
This ceanothus is a vigorous California native selection with glossy, deep-green and chartreuse leaves. It is a low-growing groundcover with pale-blue flowers in spring and summer. It is hardy in Zones 8b to 10.
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Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush) ‘First Editions Fiber Optics’ (Bailey Nurseries)
‘Fiber Optics’ buttonbush likes moist conditions, tolerating flooding and wet spring soil. It is often used in wetland restoration and is a great plant for low areas in the landscape that don't dry out until late in the season. Wildlife enjoy the seeds and flowers of ‘Fiber Optics.’
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Coprosma repens 'Golden Star' (Kiwi Flora)
New to the range of coprosma that have been bred in New Zealand, ‘Golden Star’ has been selected for its earthly golden variegated tones that fit into any garden situation. ‘Golden Star’ is extremely tough and low maintenance. It works well for general garden planting, small hedges, and group plantings. It can also be used as a container plant that combines beautifully with terracotta.
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Coprosma repens 'Inferno'
A cultivar of New Zealand’s native coprosma, commonly known as the ‘Mirror Plant’ because of its glossy leaves. ‘Inferno’ has rich, deep orange, red and pink hues of the summer foliage that deepen to deep red for the winter. ‘Inferno’ is easy to grow in sun or part shade and is best protected from harsh frost. It grows in moist soil types and almost any position from shade to full sun.
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Feijoa sellowiana ‘Bambina’ (Sunset Western Garden Collection)
Richer, dark-pink blooms cover this compact pineapple guava, which only reaches up to 5 feet in height. It has the same, fabulous late-spring blooms, followed by fruit, which ripens in the fall. ‘Bambina’ is hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
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Gardenia jasminoides ‘First Editions Sweet Star’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Blooming into late summer and early fall, Sweet Star is covered in big single flowers, followed by pretty orange fruit. Plants are nicely rounded with glossy-green leaves and stay very compact in habit. Sweet Star originated from the wild and was collected from a cold-hardy G. jasminoides seed found at the Beijing Botanical Garden in China. It is reliably hardy in Zone 7 and makes up quickly in production.
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Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Let's Dance Blue Jangles’ (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
‘Let's Dance Blue Jangles’ is a big-leaf hydrangea that blooms on both old and new wood, with a tight, compact habit that is unusual among reblooming hydrangeas. Large, full flower heads will readily go heavenly blue in acidic soils. In alkaline soils, they'll be vivid pink. Blue Jangles grows 2 to 3 feet and is hardy in Zones 5 to 9.
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Hydrangea paniculata ‘First Editions Diamond Rouge’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Without a doubt, Diamond Rouge is one of the reddest H. paniculata on the market. This new variety has abundant, long-lasting flowers on strong stems that start white and progress to pink, raspberry red, and finally to wine red. Flowers start blooming in July and take on red coloration earlier in the season than other pink paniculatas. Compared to Strawberry Sundae, Diamond Rouge is slightly bigger and has distinct raspberry-red flowers that color earlier in the season.
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Hydrangea paniculata hyb. ‘White Wedding’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Gracefully arching branches support oversized clusters of creamy flowers, all in a compact habit. This beauty dazzles as a cut flower or in the garden — from accent to mass planting. It is hardy in Zones 4 to 8 and has a mature size of 4 to 6 feet high and 3 to 5 feet wide.
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Hydrangea paniculata ‘Zinfin Doll’ (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
‘Zinfin Doll’ is a beautiful new, hardy hydrangea with loads of bodacious blooms that emerge pure white and then turn bright pink from the bottom up. Two-toned flowers eventually age to a dark pink-red, and stay colorful for months. It looks a bit like the classic ‘Pinky Winky’ hydrangea, but with full, mophead flowers, and it blooms much earlier, too. ‘Zinfin Doll’ grows 6 to 8 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
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Illicium parviflorum (Small Anise Tree) ‘First Editions BananAppeal’ (Bailey Nurseries)
This compact, well-behaved illicium has golden-yellow foliage and keeps a nice mounded form. Unlike 'Florida Sunshine,' ‘BananAppeal’ doesn't send out long gangly shoots, and the leaves don't bleach out in winter. It's also more compact and disease resistant. With anise-scented foliage, it is a perfect accent plant in shade gardens, maintaining its small stature and luminescent yellow-gold foliage. It has shown no suckers to date and is deer resistant.
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Lagerstromia indica (Crapemyrtle) ‘Delta Fusion’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
‘Delta Fusion’ bears dark-pink blooms that contrast vividly with its unique, dark burgundy, curved leaves. This versatile small tree is a stunning garden accent. Its mature size is 8 to 12 feet high and 4 to 6 feet wide, and it is hardy in Zones 7 to 9.
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Ligustrum vulgare (Privet) ‘First Editions Straight Talk’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Perfect as a vertical accent in tight spaces, ‘Straight Talk’ is only 2 feet wide and tightly upright. This is the perfect substitute for 'Sky Pencil' holly in colder climates. In addition to being cold hardy and drought tolerant, it’s easy to grow in a wide range of soils and tolerates urban conditions. Flowers are white, followed by black fruit. Straight Talk has shown minimal seed production after four years of Minnesota trials.
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Mahonia × media ‘Marvel’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Statuesque and upright, ‘Marvel’s’ large, frond-like leaves develop whorls along coarsely branched stems. Gorgeous sprays of fragrant yellow flowers appear in late fall or early winter. The flowers develop in to grape-like clusters of wax-coated black berries by late summer and autumn. Plants are hardy in Zones 6 to 10 and have a mature height of 6 feet. They are less prickly than other mahonia.
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Rosa 'White Knock Out' (Star Roses and Plants)
'White Knock Out' is an excellent shrub rose, which stands out in the landscape with the contrast between pure-white blooms and very dark-green foliage. It blooms from spring through fall and maintains a compact habit.
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Syringa ‘Bloomerang Pink Perfume' (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
This latest addition to the Bloomerang series has the same multi-season flower show, only this time in pink. The fragrant blooms will delight gardeners in spring, then again from midsummer to fall. It grows 4 to 5 inches and is hardy in Zones 3 to 7.
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Ternstroemia gymnanthera ‘Juliet’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
‘Juliet’ has attractive, variegated, glossy foliage with an upright habit. New growth is maroon with a creamy-white variegation. Foliage produces year-round interest. Plants are disease and pest resistant, along with being heat tolerant. They are hardy in Zones 7 to 10, and have a mature size of 8 to 10 feet high and 5 to 6 feet wide.
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Viburnum ‘First Editions Opening Day’ (Bailey Nurseries)
These compact plants are covered with baseball size, snowball-like flowers that open with a tinge of green and quickly mature to pure white. Plants are tight in habit with dark-green foliage that turns beautiful shades of cabernet in the fall.
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Viburnum odoratissimum ‘Copper Top’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
This upright, mounded shrub features new growth that is bronze copper pink to dark green. White flower clusters appear in spring and attract birds and butterflies. ‘Copper Top’ is disease and pest resistant, along with being drought and heat tolerant. Plants have year-round interest in the garden and are hardy in Zones 8 to 10. Their mature size is 6 to 8 feet high and 5 to 6 feet wide.
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Vitex ‘First Editions Blue Puffball’ (Bailey Nurseries)
A true genetic dwarf, ‘Blue Puffball’ forms a perfect, ball-shaped plant with short internodes and thick foliage. Mid-green foliage is clean into fall with minimal to no leaf spot. Deep blue, fragrant flowers bloom from June to September. Flowers form on the new growth.
View all
Azalea ‘Autumn Bonfire’ (Sunset Western Garden Collection)
Betula 'Golden Treasure' (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
Ceanothus griseus horizontalis ‘Highlights’ (Sunset Western Garden Collection)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush) ‘First Editions Fiber Optics’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Coprosma repens 'Golden Star' (Kiwi Flora)
Coprosma repens 'Inferno'
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Bambina’ (Sunset Western Garden Collection)
Gardenia jasminoides ‘First Editions Sweet Star’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Let's Dance Blue Jangles’ (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
Hydrangea paniculata ‘First Editions Diamond Rouge’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Hydrangea paniculata hyb. ‘White Wedding’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Zinfin Doll’ (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
Illicium parviflorum (Small Anise Tree) ‘First Editions BananAppeal’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Lagerstromia indica (Crapemyrtle) ‘Delta Fusion’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Ligustrum vulgare (Privet) ‘First Editions Straight Talk’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Mahonia × media ‘Marvel’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Rosa 'White Knock Out' (Star Roses and Plants)
Syringa ‘Bloomerang Pink Perfume' (Spring Meadow Shrubs)
Ternstroemia gymnanthera ‘Juliet’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Viburnum ‘First Editions Opening Day’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Viburnum odoratissimum ‘Copper Top’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Vitex ‘First Editions Blue Puffball’ (Bailey Nurseries)
In case you missed it:
Begonias, Dahlias, and More for 2018 from California Spring Trials
New Petunias and Calibrachoas for 2018 from California Spring Trials
Phlox, Zinnias, and More for 2018 From California Spring Trials
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Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.